Sole.



H. BULLOCK.

sore.

I APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24. 1916.

gmwn I Patefited 1) ec.31,1918v l'mwwmiaw:

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HUGH BULLOCK, 0F ANDWVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 CQNVEBSE RUBBER SHOE COMPANY, OF MALDEN, MAS$ACEEUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF iiiEASSkCHU- SETTS.

SOLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented D663. 3i, @918.

Application filed Qctober 2%, 1916. Serial 1? 0. 127,487.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HUGH BULLOCK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Andover, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Soles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. I

This invention relates to soles for athletic shoes and other purposes.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, wherc1n,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shoe shown herein as embodying the invention;

Fig; 2 is a plan of the bottom of the sole;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse section through the ball of the sole; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical, transverse section through the heel of the sole.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the upper of an athletic shoe provided with sole 3 embodying the invention. This sole may be of rubber or other suitable material forlned to present series of crossing ribs 5 having rounded edges and extending obliquely to the length of the sole. Between these ribs are spaces or pockets 7 adapted with a pneumatic suction action to grip the 'floor and tend to prevent slip of the sole relatively thereto.

These ribs and pockets preferably are located in the bottom of both the ball and heel of the sole and the outer edges of the areas thus formed may be bordered by niargins S) f solid rubber.

To further contribute to prevention of slip, webs or ribs 11 of thin rubber may be provided in and extend across certain of the pockets longitudinally of the sole. Preferably they cross those f the pockets adjacent the inner edge of the sole and thus are localized beneath the portion of the foot of the wearer which bears the brunt of the weight. These webs preferably are thinner than the ribs described and have greater re-. silicnce than saidribs and desirably cooper ate therewith to prevent slip of the sole.

One important field of use of the shoe described in playing basket-ball. in this game the player must frequently suddenly change'his direction of movement and his effectiveness as a player is substantially increased if he is ableto rely upon his shoes to prevent slipping on/che smooth floors which are used in this game.

The shoe described lends itself admirably for this purpose. The oblique ribs tend to thereof. This will press the thin edges of the elastic webs against the fioor and they will yield and stretch rather than slip along the floor. This yield will continue until they contact With and are backed by the ribs of the pocket adjacent thereto. Thus they elliectively serve to check slipping of the sole.

Since the brunt of the wear will come upon the thicker and more rigid ribs, they will desirably protect and prolong the life of the slip-resisting webs.

While the sole has been described more particularly with reference to an athletic shoe it will be understood that its field of usefulness is not restricted thereto.

Having described one embodiment of the invention without limiting the same thereto. what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sole having elastic ribs in the bottom thereof forming slip-resisting pockets, and slip-resisting Webs extending across said pockets of greater elasticity than said ribs.

2. A sole having a series of elastic slipresisting ribs located adjacent the inner edge thereof, said ribs being of greater elasticity than other bearing portions of the sole.

3. A sole having projections formin pockets on the bottom thereof and provided with a series of elastic slip-resisting webs on the ball and heel thereof adjacent the inner edge of the sole, said webs being of greater elasticity than the projections forming the pockets.

4. A sole having a ball and heel provided with slip-resisting pockets, and slip-resisting elements of lesser cross-sectional area than the side Walls of'said pockets and extending longitudinally of the sole across a plurality of said pockets.

5. A sole provided with a ball having a solid margin and a panel therein containing ribs forming-slip-resisting pockets, and elastic slip-resisting elements in said pockets, said slip-resisting elements being of lesser cross-sectional area than the side Walls of said pockets. I 6. A sole having slip-resisting pockets 7 therein and a slip-resisting rib 11 extending 15 longitudinally of the sole and common to a plurality of said pockets, said rib 11 being of lesser cross-sectional area than the side Walls of said Dockets.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

HUGH BULLOCK. 

